Fuji’s pulled the veil off its first new TT/Tri bike in three years, called the Norcom Straight, at an event in Boulder this week. Although I only got a brief ride on it, my first impression is that the bike is an impressive achievement that puts Fuji squarely in the pack of front-runners like Cervelo, Trek, and Cannondale.

Many companies roll out new designs at a premium price and wait years before making the technology available at lower prices, the Norcom platform will be available in five builds, from $7,500 to $2,300. Notably, the entry point, the Norcom Straight 2.5, is visually identical to the flagship 1.1: same mold, same features, just built of a more affordable blend of carbon. The feature-rich lower-cost models make an ideal first tri bike, one that’s worthy of upgrading with nicer parts (especially race-day wheels) later on.

The best thing about the Norcom is its versatility. The bike features a wide range of adjustability that Fuji says will allow it to fit anyone from a diminutive UCI pro cyclist to 6’5” Fuji-sponsored triathlete Matty Reed. (The bike is UCI-approved and will be raced by Pro Continental teams Netapp-Endura and Champion System.) There are five sizes: 49, 51, 53, 55 and 57cm, and the seatpost has 180mm of height adjustment, with a rail-style seat clamp that offers 70mm of fore-aft range for effective seat angles between 74 and 81 degrees.

Up front, the integrated stem comes in six lengths (80-120mm), and two reversible rises (8 and 17 degrees); with spacer options, there’s 135mm of height adjustability. Depending on which Norcom model you get, the house brand Oval Concepts cockpit adds other adjustability options for the forearm pads’ height and orientation, and aerobar length (as well as options for S-bend, ski-tip, or straight extensions). The aforementioned Reed fits on the stock 57cm model.

The Norcom makes broad use of integration; the bottom bracket is a press-fit BB86; TRP provides aero linear-pull brake calipers; and cable routing is all internal, with chip-style cable stops and a removable bottom bracket shell cover to access the wiring harnesses for electronic shifting. One welcome development: vertical rear dropouts that offer 8mm of fore-aft wheel placement adjustment, but make for much easier for wheel changes than you find with horizontal dropouts. The bike will fit aero wheels up to 28mm wide, so they’re compatible with Zipp’s 808 and disc wheels.

The bike is named for a section of road that Fuji’s employees regularly light up on their lunch rides (they created a Strava segment for it). Marketing director Stephanie Genuardi said that while they debated “everything from Japanese swords to birds that rhyme with aero,” the Norcom Straight name stuck.

I’m no marketing expert, but when I first heard Norcom Straight I imagined the type of cocktail favored by a little-known Unified Combatant Command office dedicated to protecting us from invasion by the Canadian Army. All things equal, I think I’d have gone with the sword. But whether you call it Norcom or Nihonto, what matters is how it performs.

The most important factor in aerodynamics is rider position, and the Norcom’s wide range of adjustability immediately means that, wind tunnel figures aside, the ability to put a broad range of riders into efficient, powerful positions will make it a fast bike.

Fuji refreshingly steers clear of the “fastest aero bike” claims made by other brands. Instead, it says that compared to its older D-6 model in a 30mph test run at the A2 wind tunnel (the same tunnel Bicycling used for our Editors Choice aero road bike test in our December, 2012 issue), the Norcom is an average 10 watts faster across a range of yaw angles (the gap is largest at angles of 12.5 and 15 degrees).

Out on the road, the bike certainly feels fast. I only got in one short ride the day before a late-spring snowstorm hit Boulder, but on several long stretches in the aero position the Norcom’s personality began to appear.

The front end is noticeably stiff, offering precise handling and a distinct connected feel that’s lacking in some slow-handling TT bikes. Fuji uses its RIB technology, an internal rib in the downtube and fork legs that’s not present on the older D-6. Claimed weight for the frame is 1,400 grams (51cm size), with another 400 grams for the fork.

The rear triangle betrayed some brake rub when I stood, but without further testing I couldn’t say if it’s the frame or the wheels. And it’s impossible to tell how comfortable the bike is—a major consideration for long-course triathletes—without a full test. Look for an in-depth review of the Norcom Straight on Bicycling.com in the coming months, but initially, the broad range of fit and price point options indicate that this is an impressive new bike.